The Behavior of the Flexible Plate – Supported with SiCC-Mortar Column on Expansive Soil

Abstract

This paper provides the test results of the load-deformation test on a flexible plate, supported and unsupported by SiCC mortar columns in the laboratory setting. Two columns types were used in this experiment, a circular column (O-shape) and a column with head enlargement (T-shape). The main purpose of this study was to examine the heave of flexible plate due to the swelling effect and modulus of subgrade reaction under a loading-unloading cycle. The expansive soil was put into a testing container with a diameter and height of 550 mm and 1000 mm respectively. The clay thickness was 700 mm and the sand layer was compacted to 200 mm at the bottom of the container. The column diameter (Dc) was 50.8 mm (2 in.), and had a length of 500 mm. The height and diameter of the column head were enlarged to three times the column diameter (3Dc), which was about 152.4 mm (6 in.). Loading tests were performed after 8 days of saturation and 14 days of curing the column. The test results showed that installation of the column in support of the plate reduced the heave to about 16% and 22% respectively for the O-shape and T-shape column-support plates. The T-shape column-strengthened plate can enhance the modulus of subgrade reaction to about 203%. This result indicated significant improvement by the enlarged column head in carrying and transmitting the load to the soil.

Keywords

• deflection
• expansive soil
• flexible plate
• sicc column technique